Imprisoned
by XxLostGirlXx
Summary: Dr. Clarke Griffin is the last human survivor in what is left of Washington DC. But she is not alone. She is surrounded by the infected who can only come out during nightfall. During the day she scavenges for food and supplies and works tirelessly on a way to reverse the effects of the virus. By night she barricades herself inside her home, praying for dawn to come.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - So this story is based off of one of my favourite films I Am Legend. I thought I'd try and write something down and this is what I came up with. Let me know if you think its worth continuing.**

Chapter One

Three years ago, Clarke Griffin was not accustomed to time. Now it was her lifeline. But on cloudy days like today, she could never really tell when the sun would set, and sometimes she only just made it back home before they emerged from the dark recesses of the abandoned city.

If she weren't constantly putting it off, she would have gotten a new watch to replace the broken one on her wrist. But sentimental as she was, she couldn't imagine wearing any other but her fathers. So for now she got into the habit of judging nightfall by the sky, but on days like today that method didn't work so well. Which is why she stuck close to her townhouse.

She walked around the house; the sound of her feet and the almost silent padding of her dogs paws the only ones to be heard. She checked the steel shutters on the windows like she did everyday. They were her only protection, the only thing that kept the horrors of the night outside where they belonged.

In the overgrown backyard she checked the water tank. On rare occasions the structure would sometimes be damaged, or the rain catchers bent or broken off. Today there was nothing amiss, so she refilled the bottles she had drunk yesterday before re-entering the house.

Zeus - the German-Shepard she had rescued as a puppy two years ago - was sat there waiting obediently, "Hey, boy. You ready for dinner?" Clarke asked whilst making her way into the store cupboard.

She stood before a giant freezer, selecting their supper. Jaded eyes moving over the stacks of wrapped meat down to the frozen vegetables and homemade breads. She picked out two venison steaks, a selection of vegetables, and before leaving the room she moved over to the shelves filled with canned foods, and grabbed a jar of Zeus's favorite sauce.

She walked slowly across the living room, looking at the huge painting she had salvaged awhile back. It showed the breathtaking view of earth from space. A view she never got to see in person like she had hoped. Walking into the kitchen she dumped the contents in her arms onto the counter, her eyes flickering toward the clock on the wall. Five thirty. Soon now.

She filled up a pan with water and put it on the stove to boil. Next she salted the venison before putting them on the grill. By this time the water had begun to boil and she dropped in the mixed vegetables.

Whilst she waited, she picked up the remote off the table and flicked on the television. The sound of Dr. Jacksons voice filled the room. Leaning back against the counter she listened once more to the man who all but wiped out the human race talk about his miracle cure for cancer.

Shaking her head she spun around to flip the steak, and instead of turning her attention back toward the television she gazed outside. She could tell the sun was slowly beginning to set. That's what was wrong with cloudy days; you never knew when they were coming.

She checked the time again before deciding to secure the house now rather than run the risk of waiting. She went to every window in her home and closed the steel shutters before locking them in place. No form of natural light left in what was now her fortress for the night.

She dished up their dinner on identical plates – Zeus's with its additional sauce, "There you go. Just the way you like it. Disgusting." She said as she placed it down on the floor for him beside her chair. They ate in silence, Clarke watching the television, Zeus fussing with his food, "Mm-mm. No, no, no. Eat your vegetables." She chided as he pawed at them, "Don't just push them around, eat them. I'm not playing."

Clarke was about to reprimand him once more when she stopped, her eyes darting to the clock. Six-fifteen today. Lexa Garrison was shouting, "Come out, Clarke!"

* * *

She sat in the living room reading one of her mothers journals, an old CD playing obscenely loud in the background in an attempt to drown out the sounds from outside. It wasn't loud enough though, it never was. No matter what she did she could still hear them, their murmuring and their cries, their snarling and fighting amongst themselves. Occasionally she would hear a dog bark, and Zeus would answer the call before she could stop him.

They were all here for the same thing. They were all here for her.

Clarke closed her eyes for a moment, letting her head fall back against the sofa cushion as she breathed deeply. She wished she'd soundproofed the house. It wouldn't be half as bad if she didn't have to listen to them. It had been three years, and still to this day it got on her nerves.

In the beginning she used to watch them through the peephole of the living room shutter. But when they spotted her the women begun to strike vile postures in hopes of enticing her out of the house. She didn't want to look after that.

Sighing she glanced down at the journal now laying idly across her lap, listening to the music playing over the stereo. She contemplated grabbing the set of earplugs off of the coffee table to shut them out, but that would also mean shutting out the music, and even though they would never really know, she didn't want them to win.

She closed her eyes again. It was the women who made it so difficult, she thought, the women who posed lewdly in the night on the off chance she would see them and decide to come out. There was one woman out there that had never enticed her like that however. Clarke had observed her stoic form on many occasions. It was the closest she had come to even considering the notion of walking out the door.

A shudder ran through her. Every night it was the same. She'd be reading or listening to music. Then she'd start to think about soundproofing the house, then she'd think of the women, and finally her thoughts would flicker to _her_.

Deep in her body the knotting heat began to rise, and she bit her lip roughly until she tasted blood. She knew the feeling well and it enraged her. Throughout the night it grew and grew until she couldn't face it anymore. She would pace the floors, fists clenched at her sides. Maybe she would watch a movie, play a video game, drink until she couldn't remember her name or turn the music up so loud it hurt her ears. She had to do something when it got really bad.

She could feel the muscles in her stomach closing in like tightening coils. Picking up the journal she tried once more to read, the words forming on her lips angrily. But a moment later the book was in her lap again. Nothing she did could stop the wordless, mindless craving of her flesh.

The realization made her sick to her stomach. She took it as an insult. Yes, it was a natural drive, but there was no longer an outlet for it. The world had forced celibacy upon her; she simply had to deal with it.

Shaking her head she got to her feet and made her way over to the stereo, turning the music up even louder. From the small bar in the corner of the room she poured herself a whisky soda before sinking back into the sofa. After taking a long drink she picked up the journal and forced herself to read a whole page without pause. She read about the two strains of the Krippin Virus, the airborne strain, and the contact strain which was spread through either blood or saliva contact.

She shut the journal with a thud.

Why don't they leave her alone? Why do they insist on coming here every night? After three years you would have thought they'd give up and try somewhere else. Was there nowhere else to try? Was she the only human left in the whole of Washington?

She took another drink of her whisky, and as she did she heard the sound of a fight breaking out. Above the noise, she heard Lexa Garrison shout as she always shouted, "Come out, Clarke!"

Someday she'll get her, she thought before downing the rest of the bitter drink. I'll drive a stake right through her heart myself. I'll make one especially for her, the bitch.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she will soundproof the house. Her fingers drew into white-knuckled fists. She couldn't stand to think about her. If she couldn't hear what was going on outside, then maybe she wouldn't think of her. Tomorrow.

The music came to an end and she sat there for a moment, waiting for the CD to change. Now she could hear outside even more clearly, she wished the damn thing would hurry up already. When she heard the click of the CD slotting into place she sighed in relief, but when she recognized the song that had begun to play she rose to her feet with a stiffening rage. She wrenched the disc out of the stereo and snapped it in two between her hands. It had belonged to a person she trusted, but also a person who betrayed her when she needed them the most. She'd meant to break it a long time ago.

She walked on rigid legs to the kitchen and dumped the broken disc in the trash. Then she stood there in the darkness, eyes tightly shut, teeth clenched, hands clamped over her ears. Leave me alone, leave me alone, _leave me alone!_

It was no use; she would never beat them at night. No use trying, it was their time now. She was being stupid. Should she just watch a movie? No, she didn't feel like it. She'd just put the earplugs in and go to bed. It's what she did every night anyway.

She headed back into the living room and motioned for Zeus to follow. Once upstairs she quickly undressed in the darkness of her room. She put on her pajamas before heading into the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes drawn to the small cross tattoo that poked out from behind her ear. She had been drunk when she got it. She wasn't even religious. What a fool I was in those days! She thought. Well, maybe the cross saved her life.

Turning off the bathroom light she padded across to the bed – which Zeus now occupied – and crawled between the sheets. She jammed in the earplugs and a great silence engulfed her. She lay there in bed and took deep calming breaths, hoping for a peaceful sleep. But the silence didn't help. She could still picture them out there, prowling the streets, perpetually looking for a way to get to her. Some of them probably crouching on their haunches like caged animals, teeth snapping venomously over and over.

And the woman…

Why did she have to think of _her_ again? She flipped over onto her stomach with a curse, punching a comfortable crease into her pillow before pressing her hot face into it. She lay there, breathing heavy, body squirming on the sheet slightly. Please let the morning come. Her mind spoke the same words every night. Dear God, let the morning come.

* * *

 **A/N - So what do you guys think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Thank you for the support on the first chapter. I have a good idea on where I want to go with this and hopefully you will all enjoy it.**

Chapter Two

 _It was nine-thirty at night when Clarke's car screeched to a halt outside her parent's home. Despite the hour her mother and father were already on the sidewalk waiting for her. After they clambered into the car her mother turned to her from the passenger seat, "What's happening? I tried to reach you on your cell."_

" _Cell service is down, mom." Clarke answered as she began to follow the police vehicle in front of them._

" _Where are we going?"_

" _They need you at Ark Station."_

" _Thirty minutes, Clarke." A voice stated from the radio on the dashboard._

 _Reaching forward she picked it up and quickly responded, "Copy."_

" _Is that Wells?" her father asked from the backseat. Clarke looked in the rear-view mirror before nodding to confirm his suspicions, "what is happening in thirty minutes?"_

" _They're sealing off Washington DC."_

" _What do you mean sealing off? They can't do that!" her father raged behind them. Her mother however sat quietly in her seat; unseeing eyes looking ahead as she silently pondered Clarke's words._

" _Did you bring everything I told you to?" Clarke asked her._

" _You said they need 'me' at Ark Station. You mean 'us', right?"_

" _A helicopter is going to take you to the airport and then from there you'll head down to Florida." Clarke said, deftly avoiding the question._

" _Jesus, Clarke, did it jump? Is it airborne?"_

" _It may be," Clarke said. Sighing as the woman that raised her let out an audible gasp. Her father leant forward in-between them, about to speak when Clarke held up a hand to silence him, "he's announcing it," she said whilst turning up the radio's volume._

" _Make no mistake, Americans, this virus threatens the survival of not only our nation, but every other nation, and so it is with great sadness, but even greater resolve that tonight I have signed an executive order initiating a military quarantine of Washington DC. God be with us all."_

 _Reaching forward once more Clarke turned off the radio, "The window is still open. If we can find something in a week or two weeks, we can reverse the spread. I can still fix this."_

" _Please, Clarke. You can still do the same work on Ark Station. They sent for you not me." Her mother pleaded._

" _They don't need me if you're there. This is ground zero. My site is down here not up in space. We spoke about this."_

" _What are you doing?"_

" _What am I doing?" Clarke asked incredulously, "I'm not gonna let this happen!"_

" _Let? This isn't up to you. You can't control this, Clarke!" her mothers shouting suddenly morphed into a scream when one of the infected crashed into Clarke's window._

* * *

The alarm on her nightstand went off at five-thirty and Clarke Griffin blindly reached out from beneath the covers to press stop. She lay there on her back, staring up at the ceiling as her hand ran mindlessly through Zeus's thick fur. After a few moments she decided to get up and made her way downstairs to the living room and opened the peephole carefully.

Outside see could still see the dark figures standing in front of her home. They always got the same look of disappointment upon their faces when dawn approached. It was pitiful, but Clarke got a kind of sickening satisfaction out of it whenever she saw the look. As she watched, some of them began to mumble discontentedly amongst themselves as yet another night came to an end.

Closing the shutter she made her way into the kitchen and began to make her morning coffee. As she grabbed her favorite mug from the cupboard, she heard Lexa Garrison cry out, "Come out, Clarke!"

And with that they left weaker than when they arrived. In the beginning the infected thrived in Washington, but when they began their rampage the number of those people who were immune dwindled, soon the only way for them to sate their unrelenting hunger was to attack their own. They did that often. There was no loyalty amongst them. Their thirst was their only priority.

As she waited for the coffee to brew she filled up Zeus's bowl with dog food before heading toward the basement, "What?" she said from the kitchen doorway when she heard him whine, "That's what happens when you don't eat your vegetables." she gazed at him sternly for a moment before leaving the room completely.

Clarke stood stoically in front of the door for a moment, praying that today will be the day. After making her way down the stone steps she put on her white lab coat, washed her hands in the basin next to the labs entrance and pulled on a pair of white latex gloves.

Walking into the sterile room she immediately made her way over to her computer and booted it up. As soon as her face flashed up on the screen she began to speak, "Dr. Clarke Griffin, March 16, 2019, GA series, serum 391. Animal trails. Streaming video." She stated before taking the web camera off the top of the monitor and clipping it to a pair of glasses.

Slowly she walked over toward the cages and took a deep breath before pulling off the black sheet she used to protect them from the harmful light. Immediately the infected rats viciously flew toward the shatterproof glass, "GA series results appear typical." She muttered with a shake of her head, "compounds 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, 12 did not kill the virus. Compounds 2, 4, 5, 8, 11 all killed the host. Wait a second," she said when one of the rats made her double-take, "compound 6 appears to be showing decreased aggression response with partial pigmentation returning," pulling out her medical flashlight she shone it in its eyes, "slight pupil constriction. GA series, serum 391, compound 6 is the next candidate for human trails. You hang in there, number 6," she urged as she tapped a finger against the window.

Making her way back over to her computer she stared at her reflection for a moment. Her blue, lifeless eyes almost judging her with distaste, "Is there even anyone up there watching this?" she questioned bitterly before ending the recording and sending the file up to Ark Station.

* * *

Breakfast was a brief affair: two slices of toast and a cup of the freshly made coffee. She ate quickly even though she had nowhere in particular she needed to be. If she wanted she could stay inside all day and do nothing, but then the day would feel like a failure, and she already had enough of that in her life.

After breakfast she went back upstairs to dress and wash up. She cleaned her teeth meticulously. She tried to take good care of them because not only was she her own doctor, but she was now her own dentist as well.

Before Clarke left the house she armed herself with an M-16, draped her satchel over her shoulder and bounced a tennis ball on floor for Zeus. The first thing she did when she stepped outside was look up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight. She could go out today.

She made her way down the steps and towards her jeep with Zeus trailing behind her, "Good, boy!" she praised when he jumped into the passenger seat. As she made her way around to the drivers side she gave one of the gas canisters a shake, listening as the last few dregs sloshed around inside, "guess that's our first job of the day."

As she drove down the abandoned streets she could feel Zeus staring at her pleadingly, she glanced over at him and smiled slightly before turning to her door and pressing the window button. Zeus's window rolled down and he quickly stuck his head outside.

She pulled up outside the ransacked gas station a short while later. Turning the key in the ignition she shut off the engine and took a moment to look over the place. Once she was satisfied she motioned for Zeus to stay and jumped out of the jeep, grabbing everything she would need.

Twenty-minutes later Clarke wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she leant back against the gas station pump. She'd just finished filling three canisters full of gas. After a short break she pushed away from the pump, deciding that whilst she was here she might as well check the oil, water, and tires. Everything seemed to be in good condition. It usually was, because she took good care of it. If it ever broke down out here she would be as good as dead.

With that she got back in the jeep and began to drive down the abandoned streets of Washington with no real destination in mind. Out of habit she kept her eyes open for any sign of game. There were herds of wild deer out here that she frequently hunted when the opportunity came her way.

Zeus barked from beside her when he caught sight of a flock of birds that had made flight from the sound of the jeeps engine. Clarke and Zeus both watched as they disappeared behind a huge skyscraper that had been covered in a huge plastic tarp; the biohazard signs always making her feel anxious.

Clarke swerved up onto the sidewalk a moment later when she realized that the street was overflowing with decaying cars. She drove underneath the walkway of the tarp covered building, then reappeared on the other side and swerved back onto the street.

All of a sudden Zeus became alert. His ears shifting back as he listened to whatever had peaked his interest. Clarke glanced over at him as she slowed the jeep down a little, "What you see? What you see?"

As soon as the words left her mouth a herd of deer leaped into the road in front of them. She turned the wheel sharply to one side, which caused the jeep to spiral out of control. When it finally came to a screeching halt further down the road, she quickly shifted back into drive and gave chase.

Zeus gave a bark of excitement as Clarke sped after the deer. The herd kept darting around the jeep, changing directions every few feet, but she managed to keep up with three of them as they fled up the main streets.

Clarke frowned when she caught a glimpse of what was up ahead. She slammed her foot down on the breaks and yanked the steering wheel to the left, now parallel to the retreating deer as they once more skidded to a stop. Her window rolled down with a flick of a switch and Clarke looked down the sight of her M-16, her finger hovering over the trigger, ready to fire when she got a good enough shot, "No, no, no," she chanted when they continued to elude her and before she knew it her chance was gone, "Damn!" she cursed when the deer leaped onto the sidewalk and disappeared into the subway tunnels.

Whimpering, Zeus leaned forward and began to bark uncontrollably. Clarke reached out a hand and started to rub his chest slowly, "Easy, boy." she soothed. He quieted, but continued to whine. As they sat there she contemplated following. Her hand was just about to open the door when she heard it. It was a sound she had never got used to and also a sound she hoped she never would.

She wound up her window when it got too much. Yes, she had planned to eat the deer herself, but listening to the infected feasting on them was something she couldn't quite comprehend.

Feeling sick to her stomach Clarke decided that was enough for today. She would return to the confines of her home, drink herself into oblivion and hopefully bypass the night altogether.

* * *

 **A/N – Thank you for reading. Let me know what you guys think of it so far.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Clarke circled the small space of her living room, a book in one hand and a whisky sour in the other, "Now you know what _we_ are, and now you know what _you_ are."

She came to a halt, her intoxicated body swaying dangerously on the spot. It was true. She knew what they were. For the longest time they were just figments of the imagination. Something that only belonged to imaginative literature or artistic film. It was a folklore that was fuelled when Stoker first put pen to paper. Since then the Vampire genre had over the years become cliché. It was a tenuous legend that had been passed down from century to century.

Nobody believed that it could be something like that. Not when what they were considering didn't belong in the real world, it was fiction, it was superstition, there was no such thing. The human race denied it until the bitter end, and before they even had a chance to acknowledge the legend, the legend swallowed them and everything along with it, "Fools." She muttered with a shake of her head.

She took a sip from her drink and closed her eyes as the heat travelled down her throat and settled in her stomach pleasantly. Putting down her book, she took a seat on the couch and stared moodily at the bookcase, listening to the music in the background.

She hadn't soundproofed the house. She hadn't refueled the generators. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast; she'd lost her appetite. That was nothing new. She lost it all the time. After what she heard today she couldn't come home and with good conscious eat a hearty meal.

Clarke's minds flashed back to the quote in her book. She knew what they were. But what was she? It was a question that haunted her more than anything. She had become many things over the years and all of them she loathed with an unrelenting passion. She thought of all the people she had killed since it all begun, and bitterly finished her drink in one swallow.

She blinked and the room wavered a little before her. You're getting drunk, young lady, she told herself. So what? She replied. Has anyone more right than me?

A coughing chuckle suddenly erupted from her mouth. Outside Lexa Garrison called for her to come out. I'll be right, Lexa, she thought. She shuddered and clenched her jaw. Be right out. Well, why not? Why not go out there? It was a sure way to be free of them. She chuckled once more at the pure simplicity of it, then shoved herself up and walked over to the bar. Why not? Her mind continued. Why go through all of this torment when a flung-open door and few steps would end it all?

For the life of her, she didn't know. There was, of course, the faint possibility that she would be able to cure the virus, or that others like her existed somewhere, surviving and hoping that someday they would be among their own kind again. But how would they find her if they didn't know where to look?

She shrugged and poured more whisky into the glass. She could set something up, maybe a broadcast of some kind. She had thought about it before, but she didn't want strangers in her home, not when she was conducting important research in the basement, it was too much of a risk. Now however. Sighing she turned her head slightly and listened to the infected for a moment. Who was she kidding? She'd never find anyone else.

Her body dropped down heavily on the chair and she gazed over at Zeus, whose eyes followed her ever move from his bed. So here we are, sitting cozily, surrounded by a battalion of bloodsuckers who want nothing more than to sip freely from the pulsing vein in my neck. Have a drink, guys, it's a free bar in here.

Her face twisted into an expression of raw hatred when she lowered the raised glass. _Bastards!_ I'll kill every last one of you before I give in! The glass slipped from between her fingers and shattered on impact with the ground. She looked down, dull-eyed, at the fragments of glass on the floor, at the whisky seeping into her carpet. Bending down she mindlessly began to clean up the mess she had made.

As she made to leave the room she heard a commotion outside. She rushed toward the peephole and looked through it, her eyes searching. She tried to ignore the women who moved provocatively when they noticed her. When she realized that the source of the noise was nothing more than the infected fighting she made to leave, "Come out, Clarke," Lexa Garrison's face appeared on the other side of the peephole and Clarke couldn't help the frightened scream that escaped her as she staggered back.

"No," she found herself replying a moment later, her hands coming to rest against the cool steel of the shutter.

"Come out, Clarke," Lexa repeated as if it was the only words she knew.

"Fuck you!" she fumed before pushing away and storming into the kitchen. Her heart raced frantically as paced the room back and forth. Lexa had never come that close before. None of them had. Were they getting braver? Or was it just the desperation to quench their thirst? Either way she didn't like it.

As she began to calm-down her mind was finally able to register the painful sting of her right hand. The jagged pieces of glass had pierced her skin. She watched as the blood oozed from the wound and dripped off her palm.

Wouldn't Lexa just love to get some of this, though? She thought. She started forward with a furious lurch and almost opened the front door so she could wave the hand in her face and watch her howl. Then she closed her eyes and a shudder run through her. Stop it, Clarke. You're smarter than this, she thought. Go bandage your hand.

She stumbled into the downstairs bathroom and washed her hand under the tap carefully, gasping as she poured iodine into the open flesh. Then she bandaged it as best she could in her state, her chest heaving, sweat dripping from her forehead. I need a drink, she thought.

In the living room again, she turned the music up louder to drain out the sound of Lexa's voice and moved over to the bar. The whisky gurgled into the glass. She grimaced a little at the pain in her hand and shifted the bottle to her left hand.

She sat down and sipped. Willing herself to no look toward the peephole, she wouldn't be able to see Lexa from here, but still. Gradually the room shifted on its axis and wove and undulated about her chair. What she wanted most right now was to forget those green eyes and so she welcomed the dull haze of intoxication. She looked down at her glass, at the Zeus in the corner, at the stereo. She let her head flop from side to side.

She felt her eyelids beginning to droop, but she wasn't ready to jump from one nightmare to another just yet, so she fought against it. She sat there somberly, trying to keep her mind as empty as possible. Before she knew it the music ended. She listened as the stereo tried to change disc, but it was the last one. She sat there, feeling a chill creeping up her legs. That's what was wrong with drinking too much. You eventually become immune to drunken delights. There was no solace in liquor. Before you got happy, you come crashing back to reality. Already the room was straightening out and the sounds from outside were starting to whisper in her ear.

"Come out, Clarke!"

Her throat moved and a shaking breath passed her lips. Come out. Lexa was out there, eyes greedily searching hers, flesh begging for her touch, lips waiting for-

My blood, my _blood!_

As if it were someone else's, she watched her whitened hand rise up slowly, shuddering, to slap across her cheek. The pain made her suck in a breath of clarity. She lurched to her feet and started pacing again. What am I going to do now? Go through the same routine as always? Reading-drinking-soundproof-the-house-the women- _Lexa_. The stoic, the broody and bloodthirsty woman who teased relentlessly.

A shuddering whine escaped her. Goddamn her, what did she think was going to happen? Did the woman honestly think Clarke would come out and hand herself over? She could. Maybe Lexa will embrace her as her teeth sunk into her soft flesh. It's been so long since she'd been held. She barely noticed her feet moving or the sound of Zeus barking behind her, before she knew what was happening she was standing at the front door.

"Clarke," Lexa soothed.

Shaking her head furiously she drove her hands into the wall one after the other until the plaster was cracked and her skin broken. Then she stood there hopelessly, tears streaming down red tinted cheeks.

After awhile it passed. She moved away from the door and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She sank down on the bed and fell back on the pillow with a groan. She felt the bed dip a moment later and then the warmth as Zeus curled up beside her protectively.

Please, she thought, please hurry up.

 **A/N – I hope you all liked the chapter. Please let me know what you think about the story so far.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Clarke awoke to the sound of Zeus's barking. Groggily she moved her heavy head to look at the clock on the nightstand, it was ten o'clock. With a disgusted mutter, she struggled up and flung her legs over the side of the bed. Instantly the room swayed before her eyes and her stomach gave a violent lurch. Sighing she brought her injured hand up and cradled her face. Great, she thought, a hangover is all I need right now.

She pushed herself up with a painful groan and stumbled into the bathroom, started the shower and stripped herself naked. No good, her mind complained when she stepped out of the shower ten minutes later, no good. I still feel like road-kill. She wiped the condensation off of the mirror and noticed her face was gaunt, pale, and looked very much like a face that had given up on life. Maybe she had given up. Why was she fighting it anymore?

Shaking her head she made her way over to Zeus, who still lay at the end of the bed, waiting patiently for her return, "At least I still have you," she said as she fussed the fur on his head lightly. She gazed down at him as he stared up at her unknowingly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted evenly.

After she dressed she made her way downstairs and slowly walked toward the front door. A curse fell from her lips when she caught sight of a woman strewn across the steps leading up to her home. Usually the infected would take their dead away with them, but on rare occasions like today they left Clarke to clear up after them. She always wondered why though, why take some but leave others?

She pushed the pointless question aside and looked up at the sky. It was grey and dead. Great! She thought. Another day stuck inside this shit-hole of a prison! She slammed the door viciously and then winced as her head gave a painful stab in protest.

Two cups of burning black coffee only made her stomach churn uncomfortably. She set the cup down on the kitchen counter and went into the living room. To hell with it, she thought, I'll get drunk again.

But the liquor tasted vile on her tongue, and with a venomous snarl she flung the glass against the wall and stood watching the liquor run down onto the carpet. Hell, I'm ruining my carpet with all these stains. The thought irritated her while breath struggled in through her nostrils and out again in desperate bursts.

She sank down on the couch and sat there, shaking her head slowly. It was no use; they'd beaten her, Lexa had beaten her. A familiar feeling came over her, the feeling as if the walls were closing in on her, trapping her where no one would ever be able find her. She got up and moved quickly to the door, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

On the steps, she stood sucking in great lungful's of the wet morning air, her face turned away from the house she was slowly beginning to hate more than the infected. But she hated them too, the cold and dead humans that taunted her day and night. She hated everything about this new reality she found herself in, the decaying cars, buildings and streets a bitter reminder of everything that used to be, and everything that would never be again.

It kept building up within her and suddenly she knew she had to get out of there. Cloudy day or not, she had to get out of there. She quickly grabbed her things from inside and called for Zeus to follow before locking the door. Unceremoniously she grabbed the woman on the steps by the feet and flung her lifeless body down onto the pavement. She would deal with her properly later.

She turned the key in the ignition and pressed down hard on the accelerator. She didn't know where she was going. She went around the corner doing forty and jumped to sixty-five before she'd gone another block. She kept the accelerator on floor, forced down by a rigid leg. Her hands were like carved ice on the wheel and her face was the face of a statue. At ninety miles an hour, she shot down the lifeless, empty streets, her jeep the only roaring sound in the great empty stillness of the city.

* * *

The grass was so high that the weight of it had bent it over and it crunched under her heavy boots as she walked. There was no sound but that of her boots, Zeus panting beside her, and the senseless signing of birds. She used to love listening to the songs they sang. Now it was a sound that brought forward memories of the past, which in turn made her grow bitter at how unchanged their worlds were.

She had raced six miles, the gas pedal pressed to the floor, before she realized where she was going. It was strange the way her body and mind had kept it secret from her consciousness. She had driven blindly, with no destination in mind and yet here she was visiting West Potomac Park.

She parked at the curb and entered through the rusted gate, and now her boots were wading through thick grass. Her feet carried her forward much like the drive over here. It was a journey she had made hundreds of times with her father, and a hundred times over with Zeus. How long was it since she had been here last? It must be a month at least.

As they drew closer to the reflecting pool, she pulled out the tennis ball in her bag and threw it far into the distance; to which Zeus gave a delighted bark before giving chase. Then she sat down at the edge of the pool and rested her head against raised knees. Silence held her in its cold and gentle hands.

If I could die now, she thought, peacefully, gently, without fear or pain. If I could be with my family, if I could believe I would be with them now. Her fingers tightened on the fabric of her worn jeans and her head slowly banged against her knees. Dad. Take me where you are. A silent sob escaped her and a tear trailed its way down her cheek.

She had no idea how long she had been there. After awhile of facing it head on, even the deepest of sorrows passes; until the next time of course. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks and observed the relaxed German Shepard beside her. It was as if he was admiring the view in front of them. His eyes trained ahead, watching as the reflection of the Washington Monument flickered in the water of the pool.

Slowly, Zeus's head lifted from his paws and his ears perked forward. A whine soon followed and Clarke frowned from where she sat, "What is it?" she picked up her rifle and looked down the scope. She scanned the immediate area, then swung her rifle about when she caught sight of a deer disappearing around a trail she knew led out onto the streets, "Let's go, Zeus!"

They chased the deer through the city, flushing it out into the open. Clarke clambered up onto a car and took aim, but the deer deftly evaded her. The street was gridlocked with abandoned cars, which made the animals escape a little slower. Clarke looked down at Zeus and whistled for him to give chase. He took off after the deer, running faster through the maze of cars than she ever could.

Clarke trailed behind them and watched helplessly as the dog unknowingly followed the fleeing deer into a pitch-black building, "No! Zeus, no! Stop!" she shouted after him, but it was too late.

She stopped at the door and pointed her rifle inside, sweeping the dark area quickly before whispering her dogs name, "Zeus?" when no answer came she swallowed hard. What was she going to do? Seething she turned on the spot and almost walked away. But then it struck her. He was her best friend.

Turning on the flashlight attached to her rifle, Clarke turned back around and slowly made her way into the dark building. As she tentatively made her way across the lobby of the building, she continued to whisper out his name. Sweat began to trickle down her face and neck. She was afraid not only for her dog, but for herself as well.

From out of nowhere a horrific, inhuman screech echoed across the emptiness of the lobby. Clarke quickly placed her hand in front of the flashlight and pressed her back against a wall, attempting to keep her breathing under control. Frozen in place, she listened to a brief scuffle break out on the floor above her before silence once more encased the building.

After waiting a few seconds, she removed her hand from the flashlight and let it light up the area in front of her briefly, before quickly covering it again. With that she started forward again, continuing to uncover the flashlight after every few steps so she could see where she was going.

When she reached a set of stairs she completely removed her hand and angled the gun downwards, spotting a puddle of blood near her feet. She raised the flashlight up the stairs slowly and her heart sunk when she noticed the trail. It was a lot of blood. As she ascended the steps carefully, she prayed that it wasn't Zeus's.

At the top of the stairs she noticed that the trail continued further on down the narrow hallway. After another thirty-seconds of walking, a sense of fore boding washed over her when she spotted the muzzle of an animal poking out from around the corner ahead.

Clarke assumed the worst as she made her way towards it. Her heart hammering against her chest as the dead animal fully came into view. It was the deer. Relief flooded through her body with the realization that he might still be alive. But she needed to find him, and quick if they had any hopes of keeping it that way.

As she continued onwards, she began to notice the dollar bills left strewn across the ground. There were hundreds if not thousands of them. When the infection first showed itself rioting began to break out across Washington much like the virus itself. It broke into stores, banks and even homes in the end. For some people it was an opportunity to acquire things they had long desired. Clarke could never wrap her head it, and so she paid the money no interest.

Clarke made her towards what she deduced was a safe and peered inside. Stunned she watched as her flashlight illuminated a group of ten or so infected sleeping on the ground. Clenching her teeth shut, she quickly covered the flashlight and doubled over, trying to get her breathing under control. The infected are sleeping, she told herself. They didn't see you. When she recovered somewhat she slowly began to back out of the room, trying her hardest no to make a sound.

Once back in the hallway, she stood up straight and set off in the opposite direction. She navigated her way through the maze of hallways urgently now, desperation creeping in and clouding her judgment. It was then that she heard the familiar sound, "Zeus?" she whispered harshly.

She made her way into a large room, her flashlight sweeping the area in search of Zeus. She spotted him cowering under a desk with his tail between his legs a moment later. She darted over to him and knelt down before him "Zeus," she whispered in relief as she motioned for him to follow. He glanced toward her for brief moment before a whine left him and he backed further under the desk, "What are you doing? We have to go, Zeus! We have to go," she breathed furiously, but still he didn't move.

It was in that moment; as she watched her dog's wide frightened eyes, that realization washed over her. Time froze as the sounds within the room began to register in her mind. A muffled growl, a sickening crunch, and a gurgled swallow resonated around her. She exhaled sharply, and then slowly turned at the hips before swinging her rifle forward.

An infected was yards away, feasting on the deer's carcass. As the light cascaded over him, the infected male raised his head slowly and upon seeing another, more appealing meal, he let out a harrowing roar that seemed to shake the room.

Clarke was on her feet instantly, firing off several shots at him. He snarled and fell over mid-leap, "Zeus!" she shouted as she began to run away. Her heart was thundering in her ears as her feet pounded against the ground. A small square of light was up ahead, too small for her but big enough for Zeus, "Go, Zeus! Go." She yelled. He wasted no time and she watched as he raced ahead and disappeared into the light. She was going to die, she thought. But at least Zeus was safe.

It would seem that someone was looking out for her today though, because further ahead she spotted another light. She sprinted toward it, fear and adrenaline pushing her forward. She could hear a series of furious roars and howls behind her, which were getting closer and closer with each passing second. It would seem she had awoken the whole building.

As she reached the light she heard something that almost made her falter in her tracks. Someone was calling her name. How was that even possible? She had no more than a millisecond to ponder the thought, when a body crashing into hers sent her flying out of the second floor window. There was a mid-air scuffle in which Clarke somehow managed to get the infected human beneath her.

The air rushed out of her when they landed, it felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Had it not been for the body beneath her it would have been much worse however. Gasping for air she freed herself from the creatures grip and was about to jump down from the car they'd landed on when a familiar voice caught her off guard, "Clarke."

"Lexa?" the desperate whisper escaped her before she could stop herself. Frowning she pulled back and gazed down at the face that had haunted her for three years. She watched in slight fascination as Lexa hissed when the sunlight hit her exposed skin. The next thing she knew Lexa was attacking her again, her teeth snapping at her exposed neck. She must have known she was going to die, so why not die trying to get the thing you've wanted for years right?

Grunting angrily Clarke reached for her rifle and managed to get the upper hand on the weakening woman beneath her. She drove the butt of the rifle down against Lexa's face, and she immediately went limp, blood oozing from her broken nose. Clarke knew better than to think she had potentially killed her. The only way to kill the infected was to either expose them to sunlight or a bullet to the heart.

Clarke deftly took off her jacket and covered Lexa's face in order to protect it, before she dragged her off the top of the car and put her in the shade. It was then that Zeus came bounding toward her and started barking at Lexa, "Get back, Zeus!" Clarke commanded.

They both stood there and watched the infected woman for a while. Her mind was still reeling, her heart still pounding erratically against her chest. She would never have pegged today going like it had. She had almost lost her mind, her dog and then her life. She needed to get her shit together, she thought.

It was then, whilst she watched Lexa's unconscious form breathing evenly, that it struck her. Here lays the woman that has driven her mad for three fucking years, was she really going to waste this opportunity? She needed to run human trails on the newest antidote. What better candidate than Lexa?

* * *

 **A/N – So now Clarke has Lexa what do you think is gonna happen?**

 **Once again thanks for reading and please if you have time leave a review to let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Lexa lay motionless on the bed. It was past four in the afternoon. At least twenty times Clarke had stolen into the laboratory to look at her and see if she was awake. Now she sat in the kitchen nursing a whisky and worrying.

What if she escapes, though? She argued with herself.

The worry started a few hours before, while Lexa was sleeping. Now, she couldn't rid herself of the fear. No matter how much she reasoned it didn't help. All right, she was restrained and besides she has had infected locked up here before.

Clarke's fingers tapped restlessly on the table.

Getting her home was easy enough. She had stayed unconscious the whole journey back and it was only when Clarke began to tie the bindings around her wrists that she stirred. It had made her heart stop dead in its tracks, the air leaving her lungs in a rush. Luckily for Clarke she did not wake fully.

She sighed wearily and turned the glass in her hand.

All these years, she thought, secretly dreaming of Lexa being back here. Now I have her and the first thing I do is distrust her, treat her crudely and impatiently.

And yet there was really nothing else she could do. She had accepted a long time ago that _her_ Lexa was gone. It didn't matter that she looked normal. She was no different from the other animals out there. She would kill Clarke without a second thought. Most likely the past did not haunt Lexa like it did her. She probably doesn't even remember any of it.

With a heavy sigh she rose and went back down to the lab. She was still in the same position. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was still long and dark, her body tall and slender. But her skin was now pale and cold to the touch. That was the only real difference, though. Lexa had always been immaculately put together, smelling of expensive perfume each time they had met.

It was strange to stand there looking over at Lexa Garrison, a Lexa completely alien to her now. Once she had spoken to that woman, gone on dates with her, talked about their childhoods and her love of painting and Lexa's avid fascination with baseball, later on about the infection, about how Clarke was working tirelessly to fix it, about…

Clarke shook her head. There was no point going into that. The past was as dead as Lexa.

She stood over the bed, staring down at her. Lexa. There was so much she wanted to know about who she had become. And yet she was almost afraid to find out. Because if she truly was like the others, there was only one road to go down, and that is why she had never pursued Lexa before.

Her hands twitched at her sides, her blue eyes gazed flatly at her. What if she was different? What if she didn't want to bleed her dry? Maybe the woman she had known before the world had gone to shit was still in there somehow. Why wasn't the memory of her enough to convince her she wouldn't harm her?

Well, there was only one way to check. She bent over and put her hand on her shoulder, "Wake up," she said. She didn't stir. Her mouth tightened and her fingers closed in on her soft shoulder. Then she noticed the thin silver chain around her neck. Reaching in with tentative fingers, she drew it out of the bosom of her tank top.

She was looking at the small space shuttle pendant when Lexa woke up and recoiled into the pillow, "What are you d-doing?" she asked faintly.

It was harder to distrust her when she spoke. The sound of her voice was so welcoming that it had a power over her it never had before, "You kept it," she let the pendant go when she remembered herself. She hastily stepped back and leaned against the wall, looking at her a moment longer before asking, "Do you know where you are?"

She watched as Lexa's eyes swept the room. A moment later a look of recognition passed across her face, "I am in your home." She stated simply.

"Do you remember what happened?"

She lay there looking blankly at her, "You attacked us."

Clarke pushed herself away from the wall with furious look on her face, "I think you'll find you attacked me."

"No. You entered our territory. You had no place being there, Clarke."

She looked at her without a word. Then abruptly she turned and her boots thumped loudly as she walked up to the living room. She poured herself a drink at the bar and downed it in one. The woman was testing her patience. She needed to get a better handle on her feelings. This is not the person she knew years ago, she reminded herself.

* * *

Lexa was propped up on one elbow when she came back. The bindings that held her right arm captive now useless as they swung limply from the side of the bed. Without hesitation she strode over and closed the doors to the containment room, locking Lexa inside.

"What is this, Clarke?" she asked, her free hand working tirelessly to release the other.

"It's what it looks like," she said to her, quietly venomous.

"Let me out of here."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she said.

"Can't or won't?"

Clarke looked at her flabbergasted, "You honestly expect me to just let you go after everything you've done?"

"So this is payback?" Lexa challenged. She sighed and rubbed her now free wrist before getting to her feet. A groan passed her lips a moment later when she stretched where she stood. Clarke swallowed when she caught sight of the silky flesh of her stomach from where her top rode up, "and here's me thinking this would suffice?" she said, pointing toward her nose.

"I reset it," she said through gritted teeth, "not that you deserved it," she added spitefully.

"You're making a mistake keeping me here."

"Maybe," Clarke mused aloud as she watched the woman move about like a caged animal, "but I have nothing to lose, Lexa."

"Really?" she challenged.

"You took everything from me."

"I never took anything you didn't offer, Clarke," she soothed suggestively.

"Fuck you."

Lexa looked at her angrily, "This is getting us nowhere. Let me out and we can just forget this ever happened."

"What, you'll just go on your merry way?" Clarke teased bitterly, "I doubt that very much."

"This is the last time I'm going to ask politely." She threatened as she moved to stand in front of her. The wall of glass the only thing separating them.

"Save your breath. I'm not frightened of you. Oh, and if you're thinking of trying to escape I wouldn't bother," Clarke said as she rapped her knuckles against the glass, "this is Plexiglas."

She watched in satisfaction as a wave of doubt flashed across Lexa's face. She reached a hand up and rested her palm against it, her muscles flexed as she tested its durability, "You'll have to come in here sooner or later."

"Yes," Clarke admitted with a nod of her head, "and when I do I have a way to deal with you."

"And what's that?"

"I think you'll understand if don't want to reveal all my secrets just yet."

Lexa began to pace the room, her shoulders taught and rigid. Clarke could only imagine what was going through her head in that moment. It seemed like an eternity before she spoke once more, "If I don't feed," she breathed into the stillness of the room.

Clarke let Lexa's words hang in the air for a moment, a sense of satisfaction settling over her as she observed the desperate woman before her, "Don't worry, human blood bank over here remember?" she spat with disgust.

Silence encased them once more as Clarke's words sunk in. Lexa disliked the idea as much as her it would seem. She didn't know how to feel about that. Hadn't the woman tried to entice her out of the house for three years purely for that reason?

"Why are you doing this?" Lexa whispered.

"Because I can still fix it."

"It can't be done, Clarke."

"I refuse to believe that," she rebuffed determinedly.

"Then you are just as naïve as I remember."

"Maybe I am, but I would rather be naïve than like you," she hissed between her teeth.

"The virus isn't what you think it is. The sooner you realize that and join us the better."

"I would rather be dead!"

"Then your death will have been for naught," Lexa said. Her intense gaze holding her captive. Green eyes stared deep into the recesses of her soul. It stripped her naked where she stood. The familiarity of it all unnerved her.

"Stop," she ground out between clenched teeth.

"Stop what, Clarke?"

"Stop looking at me like that. You don't get to look at me like that anymore."

For the second time that day she stormed out of the room. Instead of drowning her sorrows she just sat down on the couch. Her fists thudded down onto the cushions. Why did she let her get under her skin? Why when she looked at her did all those feelings come rushing back? She had managed to block them out all these years so why now? Maybe it was the close proximity. That had to be it.

To hell with this, she thought. I need a drink.

She stood there, sipping her whisky and wondering where it was Lexa had taken her on their first date. She remembered the place, but she couldn't for the life of her remember the name. She shrugged. What difference did knowing make?

Despite her best efforts she soon found herself back downstairs. Clarke was drawn to her like a magnet. Truth be told, she always had been.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Lexa soothed when she heard her footsteps approaching.

"What other choice do I have?"

"Join us. Join _me_ ," her pleading tone made Clarke's body ache with the need to just wrap her arms around the woman and never let go. She despised the feeling, but she knew there was no use trying to control it. This wasn't supposed to happen. She hated her. But did she hate Lexa because of what she had become, or was it because she had left Clarke alone all those years ago?

"You used to tell me that every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. I'm not ready to give up, Lexa," her voice trembled with every word and when she saw those green eyes search hers longingly Clarke knew she had to leave. And so she turned her back on the woman she fell in love with all those ago and left her alone in the darkness.

* * *

 **A/N – Who would have thought Clarke and Lexa were together before this all happened huh?**

 **Thanks for reading and if you have time please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you that have supported this story so far. It has been a long time since I have written something and actually enjoyed doing it.**

 **I love reading what you guys think of the story so far so please keep those reviews coming.**

Chapter Six

Clarke stood in the middle of the empty street and gazed down at a map that was spread out on the hood of the jeep. She pulled the red marker from between her lips and tapped part of the map with the lid of the pen. She looked around to make sure they were in the right place before she folded the map up and stuffed it in her backpack, "C'mon, Zeus."

They walked up the steps toward the old Victorian house slowly. Clarke never took any pleasure in this part. Still to this day it felt like she was committing a felony. At the end of every supply run she would tell herself that had those people been alive, they would have helped in her hour of need anyway. Its what she would do if the roles were reversed after all.

Once they reached the top of the steps, Clarke pulled her rifle up and aimed it at the front door before quickly kicking it open. She motioned for Zeus to go first and only when she heard his bark echo from inside did she follow.

"You did so good! Yes! Yes!" Clarke complimented him enthusiastically as she patted his head. Zeus wagged his tail fiercely at the praise before he wandered into the living room and jumped up on the sofa.

Clarke began to rummage around the house, picking up bottles of liquor and water, looking through the stashes of medicine bottles, flicking through the owner's CD collection. She checked every cupboard, shelf and hideaway she could find.

Leaving the living room, Clarke headed upstairs and pushed open the first door she came across. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the king-size bed in the middle of the master bedroom. It had been crudely covered with a quarantine plastic tarp, and Clarke was able to make out the two forgotten forms that had been left to rot underneath. It was a sight that she had regretfully become accustomed to. Sighing she shook her head and closed the door.

Clarke continued further down the hallway and came to a halting stop when she noticed a red bow on one of the doors. Her eyes immediately drawn to the yellow post-it-note just below it. 'Do not open until x-mas.' Taking a steadying breath, Clarke slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside.

The nursery had clearly only been decorated days before the virus outbreak. Two cribs on opposite sides of the room, one pink and the other blue. The room was lovingly put together, and completely unused. Swallowing hard, Clarke silently closed the door again, wishing she had never opened it in the first place.

The virus has destroyed many lives.

* * *

After arriving home, Clarke spent the rest of the day down in the lab preparing the serum for human trails. It was a long drawn out process, but one that she was making head-way on. Clarke was confident that within the next few days they would be able to begin.

It had been two days since she captured Lexa. Two days since the woman last fed. This morning Clarke had filled a glass full of her own blood and left it for the woman without uttering a word. She had expected it to be gone by the time she returned home, but as usual Lexa was putting up a fight.

"Drink it," Clarke said, "We both know you need to."

Lexa looked up angrily, "Are you getting some kind of sick fascination out of this?"

Clarke shook her head in distaste, "Just drink it, Lexa."

After a few more minutes of pondering, Lexa finally picked up the glass and took a tentative sip of Clarke's blood. A hungry groan sounded from between her full lips and rippled through the air towards Clarke. It sent a violent shiver through her body, and Clarke struggled to ascertain whether it was out of fear or lust for the woman.

Clarke continued to watch with utter fascination as the other woman's tongue peeked out to meticulously lick at her lips. When another hearty groan rumbled through her body, Lexa seemed to give up fighting and threw the glass back and drank with abandon.

She put the empty glass down a moment later as a ragged breath racked her body, "Why are you doing this to me?"

Clarke looked at her without a definitive answer in her mind, then with a shrug of her shoulders she said, "I need to keep you alive, it's as simple as that."

Lexa's eyes closed at her seemingly hurtful words, "We both know that's not true."

Clarke decided that she would rather just ignore the comment than start another argument with the woman. Instead she opened the hatch in the wall and quickly grabbed the empty glass, "I don't understand it. It's been three years now, and still you're alive. As far as I know I'm the only human left and yet you're not dead. How are you doing it?"

"There are plenty of animals out there, Clarke."

"And what happens when you wipe them all out like you have us?" Clarke glowered at the calm woman before her.

"I did not wipe them out. Your government did that all by themselves."

"When did you give up on the human race?" Clarke's voice aghast.

"When they gave up on me," Lexa said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I haven't given up."

"On me?" Lexa probed, "or the human race?"

"Both," she said fiercely.

"That is awful patriotic of you, Clarke."

"Stop avoiding the question," Clarke sniped, "what happens when there's no more blood for you to feed on?"

Lexa stopped her feeble pacing and stared at Clarke with those penetrating green eyes, "We die," she stated, almost like it was the simplest thing in the world. Like it was inevitable.

Clarke froze in place when her words hit home. It struck a chord deep within her, almost like she should have known the answer already, "How do you know that's what will happen?" she asked shakily.

"Because I have seen it happen, Clarke. We are not like the human race, there is a hierarchy to abide by. Those at the bottom often starve."

"And those at the top?"

"The Commander and her loyal servants are always fed first."

"The Commander?"

"Our leader," Lexa confirmed with a slight nod of her head, "as I mentioned before, our kind need order and guidance."

"I never knew you were all so…" Clarke frowned, trying to find a suitable word, " _evolved?_ "

Lexa's response was a warm and hearty laugh that ignited the dull fire within Clarke, and before she could even try and hide it a light blush licked at her heated cheeks. Lexa spotted the subtle change and instantly her eyes honed in on Clarke's. Her jaw clenched tightly as she took small steps towards the glass that divided them.

Despite her mind screaming at her to stop, Clarke followed Lexa's lead and soon their faces were mere inches away. They stood there quietly, the stillness of the room cradling them protectively, "I hate what you've become," Clarke said, fighting back tears.

"I did too at first," Lexa admitted.

"What changed?"

"I don't really know," she said honestly, "It just got easier, almost like a switch was flicked and I no longer had to feel the despair of being what I was."

"Your life was that easy to forget, huh?" Clarke said bitterly.

"No," Lexa breathed as she raised her hand to rest over Clarke's, "If it was easy I wouldn't stand outside your door every night."

Clarke's mind reeled from her blunt and blatant words. Her eyes flickered between Lexa's green and vibrant ones, searching for something deep within them, "I thought you just wanted…" she stalled, unsure of what exactly she thought Lexa wanted.

"What? To drink you dry?" Lexa tried to joke, but both of them knew that it wasn't really a laughing matter. She soon sobered though, "I wanted to be with you, and the only way I knew how was to make you one of us."

"You did?"

"I still do," she said searchingly.

Clarke didn't know what to say or do. Here Lexa was basically confessing her undying love for her. It was everything she wanted to hear, but at the same time everything she didn't. If she was truly honest she had never fallen out of love with Lexa. However, the woman had died and become something that would separate them forever. It was a love that was doomed to fail before it even fully began, and so Clarke had shut it out all these years.

Even if she was to admit it. To tell the woman on the other side of the glass that she loved her back, what use would it be? The glass dividing them might as well be oceans for they could never truly be together.

"Clarke?" Lexa said as she sought to regain Clarke's attention, "What is it?"

"I can't," she breathed.

Lexa let the words sink in for moment before she nodded her head gravely, a frown quick to cloud her hurt expression "I understand. Its been years since we met and-"

"No," Clarke cut her off fiercely "I mean, I'm immune Lexa. Even if I wanted to, which I don't by the way, I wouldn't be able to join you."

"You're immune," Lexa said, almost as if speaking the words aloud would make them more real, "Do you know why?"

"It's a natural immunity. There is no way to know for sure," Clarke said.

"Is there a way to reverse it?"

"Why would I want to do that?" Clarke asked, her brow furrowed in confusion, "It is the one thing keeping me alive."

"Exactly!" Lexa pushed.

Clarke's silence was deafening. Had she been right in her judgement of the woman before her? "The Lexa I knew would never wish me dead," she said shakily, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"But you wouldn't really be dead, Clarke!"

"Inside I would be, and everyday I would hate you for it. The only way we could every truly be together is if and when I cure you."

"No," Lexa said with a resounding shake of the head.

"Why?"

"Because I would be dead inside, and everyday I would hate you for it," Lexa said, repeating Clarke's words from a moment ago.

"I honestly don't understand you anymore," Clarke said, and with one last fleeting look at her, Clarke pushed away from the wall and left the room, ignoring Lexa's voice calling for her to come back.

How had they gone from loving confessions, to talking about her dying in the space of minutes Clarke would never know. It was Lexa's unfazed approach to it that really shook her though. Did Clarke's humanity mean so little to her?

When Clarke opened the cellar door Zeus's insistent barking suddenly engulfed her, "Easy boy. What's wrong?" she soothed as she ran her fingers through his fur in an attempt to calm him. Zeus ignored her feeble attempts and ran into the living, barking all the way. Sighing Clarke followed after him and walked into the dimly lit room, "What is it, Zeus?" she said as she rubbed at her eyes tiredly. When was the last time you got any sleep? She asked herself.

It was then that she froze. The thought of sleep somehow triggering something in her mind. The room is dimly lit, she thought. Clarke swore as she ran towards the open window and saw that not only had the sun begun to set, but that the darkness was now quickly creeping in, "Shit!" she swore again, only much louder this time.

* * *

 **A/N – Damn cliff-hangers.**

 **Thanks for reading and if you have time to spare please leave a review.**


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